You might have heard shingles referred to as “chickenpox for adults” because it is caused by the same virus, varicella zoster, that causes chickenpox in kids. And if you grew up in the days before the chickenpox vaccine was available, you might remember your childhood chickenpox as not being all that bad.
But while shingles is caused by the dormant virus popping up again when you’re an adult, it’s not just itchy blisters this time around. Shingles can be incredibly painful before blisters appear and cause nerve pain that lasts for months and months.
“The good news is that there is now a highly effective vaccine to prevent shingles and the nerve pain that often accompanies it,” says Kimberly Bean, MSN, FNP-C, a primary care provider at Beaufort Memorial Bluffton Primary Care.
Read More: Vaccinations Aren’t Just for Children
The First Signs of Shingles
The first visible sign of shingles is usually a rash of tiny blisters that appears in a large patch or stripe on one side of the face or body. The week before the blisters appear, skin may tingle, itch or feel painful. Shingles can also cause fever and other symptoms, including an upset stomach or headache.
“Shingles can be especially dangerous if it is in or near the eye,” Bean says. “In the worst cases, it can cause temporary or permanent vision loss.”
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What Triggers a Shingles Outbreak?
Shingles can develop for no reason at all at any time in your life. About one-third of Americans will at some point experience shingles.
“People with weakened immune systems are more likely to develop shingles, and immune systems tend to get weaker with age, which is why older adults are at greater risk,” says Bean, who see patients in the Okatie Medical Pavilion. “But simple preventive care like keeping your blood pressure low will help prevent shingles.”
The risk of spreading the virus to others is low if you cover your rash. The fluid from rash blisters can spread the virus to anyone who hasn’t had chickenpox or the chickenpox vaccine. It isn’t contagious before the rash blisters or after it crusts over.
People who’ve never had chickenpox or the chickenpox vaccine could potentially catch chickenpox from someone with shingles, but the risk of transmission is low.
You Really Don’t Want to Get Shingles
Between 10% and 20% of people who get shingles have nerve pain that lasts for months, even after the blisters have disappeared. For some people, this long-term nerve pain — called postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) — can last for years. The pain can be so severe that it affects daily life. The risk of developing PHN from shingles increases with age.
In severe cases, shingles can cause hospitalization and other issues like:
- Blindness
- Brain inflammation (encephalitis)
- Hearing problems
- Pneumonia
Some people may even die from shingles.
How to Prevent Shingles
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all adults age 50 and older get the Shingrix vaccine, a newer vaccine that is more than 90% effective at preventing shingles and nerve pain. The vaccine requires two shots, given two to six months apart.
The CDC recommends that people who have previously had shingles or who got another shingles vaccine called Zostavax (which the CDC has found is less effective) should also get Shingrix. If you aren’t sure if you had chickenpox as a child, you should also still get the vaccine. People with severe illnesses or allergies and pregnant or breastfeeding women should not get the vaccine. Your Beaufort Memorial primary care provider can help assess if you have any health conditions that could be affected by Shingrix.
“If you are healthy, you should get this vaccine,” Bean says. “It’s safe, and it’s effective. And although some people may experience pain at the site of the shot or a mild fever and headache afterward, the temporary discomfort from the vaccine is nothing like the weeks and possibly months of side effects from shingles. There is no reason to put off getting this vaccine immediately.”
If you’re over 50, it’s time to make an appointment with your primary care provider to learn the facts about the Shingrix vaccine. Your provider can write a prescription to have the vaccine administered at your preferred pharmacy.
